Paul Wertico

As one of the pioneers of jazz-rock – perhaps the pioneer in the ears of some – Larry Coryell deserves a special place in the history books. He brought what amounted to a nearly alien sensibility to jazz electric guitar playing in the 1960s, a hard-edged, cutting tone, and phrasing and note-bending that owed as much to blues, rock, and even country as it did to earlier, smoother bop influences.

Although not exactly a household name in the U.S., Poland's SBB (short for either "Silesian Blues Band" or "Szukaj, Burz, Buduj") were a renowned act in their homeland during the 1970s. Like the majority of emerging '70s rock acts before punk's arrival, SBB were prog-based, and after spending much of the 1980s on hiatus, the group picked up right where it left off with sporadic reunions during the '90s and early 21st century. Released in 2005, New Century (issued as a DVD audio release) is exactly what you'd expect from the band: lush arrangements and soaring vocals merged with a polished/mainstream rock edge – with half the lyrics sung in English and the other half in Polish.